Designing sleeping sickness control.
Control of African trypanosomiasis caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei is an important issue in medicine, veterinary medicine, and agricultural economy. Because vaccine development is unlikely, development of safer and more effective chemotherapeutics is critical. The biosynthetic pathway of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI), which acts as membrane anchors of coat proteins, variant surface glycoproteins, and transferrin receptors, is a validated target of drug development. An article in this issue reports the first chemically synthesized inhibitor of the third mannosyltransferase from the GPI pathway, stimulating further investigation toward practical and useful compounds.
Kinoshita
Taroh
T
Laboratory of Immunoglycobiology, WPI Immunology Frontier Research Center, and Department of Immunoregulation,Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, 3-1 Yamada-oka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan. tkinoshi@biken.osaka-u.ac.jp
D000818:Animals; D015195:Drug Design; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017261:Glycosylphosphatidylinositols / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008364:Mannosyltransferases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014344:Trypanocidal Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014346:Trypanosoma brucei brucei / Q000201:enzymology*; D014353:Trypanosomiasis, African / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014643:Variant Surface Glycoproteins, Trypanosoma / Q000096:biosynthesis
D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D017261:Glycosylphosphatidylinositols; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin; D014344:Trypanocidal Agents; D014643:Variant Surface Glycoproteins, Trypanosoma; D008364:Mannosyltransferases